Dances With Films NY 2026: VINDICTA
As the film opens, there’s an immediate and unflinching resolve. It’s WWII, and Nazi soldiers are stripping Jewish families from their homes. Young Hannah (Devon Ross) is being told her new name and where she’s from. Her parents attempt to protect her.
After a brutal execution by Nazi soldiers, Hannah is questioned next, keeping to her story but eventually killing one of the men responsible. It’s a shattering intro that immediately establishes the discomforting feel. Dominik Sedlar’s Vindicta is a harrowing tale that is anchored by exquisite direction and a star-turning lead performance.
She flees under a new name, Hannah seeks refuge with the Svobodas (Pip Torrens and Anna Madeley), hoping anonymity might offer some semblance of safety. It doesn’t. Once that mood is set, Vindicta never relents, pressing forward with a quiet ferocity that resembles its protagonist’s internal discourse.
Wrought with grief and spurred by a need for vengeance, Hannah continues her campaign against Nazi soldiers, even as the strain of her actions begins to take its toll. When Klaus (Jack Bandeira), a handsome officer who seems to be softer and kind, enters her life, the possibility of something different flickers briefly into view. But Hannah does not forget, and she struggles with impulses that both empower and deprive her.
The film is elegantly bookended by Suzanne Bertish as an older Hannah, a framing device that reinforces the lasting wounds of survival. That same fire (smoldering, unresolved) burns through every frame. At nearly two hours, Vindicta never feels indulgent; every segment is measured with intention. The film is both visually beautiful and arresting, with gorgeous shots and stark and brutal depictions of the cold truth of war. Sedlar’s script is inspired by various accounts of real-life women, but weaves a very personal, unique story within the historical backdrop.
Devon Ross is truly a marvel as Hannah. It’s a performance that is haunting and unforgettable. Vindicta is not an easy watch; stories from this period never are. But its unsettling power is tempered by psychological nuance and moral complexity.
While film occasionally seems to wrestle with where it wants to land tonally, its boldness never wavers. Sedlar commits fully to Hannah’s descent, resulting in a visceral character study of loss, rage, and the devastating cost of survival.
Vindicta will have its premiere at Dances With Films NY on January 15th.
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